NE: Tuition breaks fall short, suspending young students moves ahead in Legislature

by kids1stadvocac | Jan 27, 2026 | State

Nebraska Public Media Sen. Dave Murman, chair of the Education Committee, is the lead sponsor of a proposal to once again allow schools to suspend students in kindergarten (LB653) through second grade. That practice was prohibited in 2023, unless the student brings a...

TX; Texas increased special education funding. Now, the state has to decide where it will go

by kids1stadvocac | Jan 27, 2026 | State

Houston Public Media Texas lawmakers last year increased funding for disabled students after decades of underfunding. Now, the state must figure out what equipment, training, and other services that $250 million will go toward. The Texas Education Agency is surveying...

Labor-H Spending Bill Primed for Final Passage, IDEA Receives $20 M Bump

by kids1stadvocac | Jan 27, 2026 | Federal

As reported last week, the House and Senate appropriators reached an agreement on the final text and accompanying Joint Explanatory Statements (Statement) for the remaining spending bills for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 which includes the Labor, Health and Human Services,...

MD: Maryland is rethinking how it pays for special education

by kids1stadvocac | Jan 20, 2026 | State

The Baltimore Banner Maryland’s education department awarded a major contract to the American Institutes for Research, asking the Virginia-based nonprofit to recommend a model that would adequately fund special education. They’ll answer a multipronged question: What...

Deal Reached Between House-Senate on Education Funding, COPAA CEO Responds

by kids1stadvocac | Jan 20, 2026 | Federal

Early this morning, House and Senate appropriators announced that a final deal has been reached on education, health, and other domestic spending. The negotiated Fiscal Year 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Services (Labor-H) bill includes...